Fortuitous timing would have it that our review office would receive a set of top-notch home theater speakers at the very same time that we auditioned one of the best home subwoofers on the market, designed by the legendary Bob Carver. The sub was the “True Subwoofer EQ Signature” from Carver’s current corporate labor of love, Sunfire; while the speakers were the Radia R-17i and R-18i on wall speakers from BG Corp. (formerly Bohlender-Graebener), a company that has managed to carve an equally formidable identity in the industry to that of Carver’s baby.

We had previously tested the BG “Z Series” Freestanding speakers (see review in our archives: http://www.thecritics.org/electronics/electronics_review.asp?ID=126), and found the set to be exceptional performers, with an almost unheard-of price-point that would put the mass-market big-retailer brands to shame. Consider a precision-made set of speakers for your home theater against the mass-produced stuff that you’re likely to find in your neighborhood big-box retailer, and you are almost immediately going to recognize the intelligence in choosing the BG brand.

The same dedication to excellent pervades BG’s on-wall Radia’s, a popular line considering the on-wall speaker’s diminutive foot-print, flat-panel friendliness, and basic installation (particularly over a comparable in-wall model). Indeed, many custom installers are currently recommending on-wall speakers for pre-existing walls, as nobody likes to have to cut a huge hole in a wall for some of the larger size in-wall models that would deliver comparable bombastic performance to their on-wall brethren.

As a dyed-in-the-wool on-wall fan, I was already sold on the concept behind the Radia R-17i and R-18i, so all I needed was convincing on the overall sound of these on-wall iteration of the popular Radia brand. And the on-wall set did not disappoint, delivering a similar sound to that of the “Z” Series, with arching highs and thumping bass, often not achieved in the slim casing of the on-wall speaker. This has been the biggest challenge in the on-wall variety – delivering sufficient bass response from a casing that is no thicker than the average flat-panel television, where these speakers would likely brush up against. BG has clearly got this difficult proposition nailed, easily outperforming my two-year-old mass-market set from a (formerly excellent) manufacturer that will remain unnamed.

The Radia on-walls’ bass response almost becomes a moot point, however, with a system setup that we enacted for this particular review, with the Sunfire “True Subwoofer EQ Signature” handling the bass duties. Needless to say, the EQ Signature could have blown the Radia’s right through the walls if I had maxed its levels, and easily producing sufficient low-end sound even when the Sunfire’s output was turned down to levels more in fitting with that of an average film viewing session. Even then, it is nice to know that the EQ Signature is fully capable of shaking the walls and rattling the windows during “Top Gun’s” flight-and-fight sequences, my de facto test disc for most any home theater review. Our test room had quite a workout this week, and our staff was barely able to tear themselves away from the 61 inch plasma, when the action was at its peak, and the volume was at its loudest (bearable) level!

So BG clearly delivers another set of winners with its “Radia” on-wall line, and we are now eagerly looking forward to an upcoming audition of the “Radia” Freestanding models (and eventually Radia’s Architectural In-Wall line), believe it or not, even more popular lines within the Radia franchise to that of the on-wall variety. Most home purchasers are undoubtedly still opting for the classic floor-standing and bookshelf speaker models, and we are quite sure that, in the case of the “Radia’s”, there is reason for this choice. However, we found the on-wall “Radia’s” to be excellent in their own right, and worthy of consideration in lieu of a floor-standing system, particularly if space is at a premium, and one’s plasma or LCD television is already the focal point of the front wall.

Combined with a top-notch subwoofer like the Sunfire “True Subwoofer EQ Signature” there is no need to worry about any deficiencies in bass with the on-wall system, thereby making the choice even clearer. Heck, with the Radia’s coming in at price points of $499.50 each speaker, for both the R-17i and R-18i, an upper echelon subwoofer like the EQ Signature won’t even break the bank in your system budget.

You won’t find either BG or Sunfire in your local mass-market retailer, but finding shops that carry both brands is worth the leg-work. You will receive premium quality product at similar pricing to that which you will be familiar from the ubiquitous weekly mass circulars, and you will receive a level of sophistication and quality in sound from BG and Sunfire that the other guys simply will not be able to match…